Southampton have secured their place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup with a 1-0 win over Premier League strugglers Sunderland at St Mary’s.
Sofiane Boufal scored the game’s only goal in the second half to extend the hosts’ unbeaten run and dump more misery on Black Cats boss David Moyes, who ended the evening in the stands for reacting angrily when his side were denied a penalty.
The visitors took the game to their opponents, testing Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy for the first time in the 22nd minute when Wahbi Khazri’s shot was saved in the bottom corner.
Southampton, who named five academy graduates in their starting XI, were content to defend deep in the first half, restricting Sunderland to long-range efforts but creating little in the final third.
The game remained cagey early in the second period, but came to life after the hour when the Saints’ record signing Boufal turned his marker in the box and curled a strike into the top corner to fire the hosts in front.
Sunderland had the chance to draw level 76th minute as substitute Jermain Defoe gained possession in the box and let fly, forcing another save out of McCarthy.
Trending
- Folorunso Alakija to Adeleke: You are an action Governor
- Why we dumped Fubara — Rivers ex-Commissioners
- Access Bank Group, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation pledge $300m to transform Africa’s economic landscape
- Fubara: Nobody has monopoly of violence
- WAFU B U-17: Golden Eaglets draw with Burkina Faso in opener
- Seplat Energy recommits to growing shareholders’ wealth, sustainability at AGM
- Tinubu condoles with Governor Sanwo-Olu over passing of Deputy Chief of Staff
- Those grumbling about new electricity tariff have not been paying bills in the past – Adelabu